Rolling Stone “reporter” Michael Hastings isn’t backing down from his story that alleges Lieutenant General William Caldwell used information operations against American senators.

In a blog posting on Radio Free Europe’s “Outpost Washington,” Hastings responded to Caldwell’s defenders and upped the ante in defense of LTC Holmes, the Army officer that is accusing Caldwell.

1) The claim that General Caldwell had no “information operations cell” is not true. In fact, on June 15th, 2010, his staff issued a memo that said: “Any existing Information Operations cell, section or working group will be immediately restructured as an Information Engagement Cell.” If he had no IO cells, why the need to issue a memo prohibiting them? More to the point, why change the name of something that you don’t have?

In his first response, Hastings contradicts himself. He refutes the claim that Caldwell didn’t have an IO cell, then quotes a staff memo that abolished it. Hey, Hastings: if the IO cell was abolished or restructured, IT DOESN’T EXIST! I would think that a “respectable” rag like Rolling Stone could at least decipher a simple sentence. My 13-year old son can do that.

2) As for the Pentagon/media response to the story: Attacking the whistle blower LTC Michael Homes is not where the real story is here. It’s funny that more ink has been spilled looking at Holmes record–Holmes, a 20-year plus veteran in the Texas Army National Guard who’s done three tours overseas–than on the record of Lt. General Caldwell. Caldwell is in charge of a 11.6 billion dollar-a-year operation, and has been at the forefront of trying to tear down the firewalls between IO and Public Affairs. (In short, trying to tear down what used to separate propaganda from being used on domestic versus foreign audiences.) So, if I was handing out reporting assignments, I would suggest looking closely at Caldwell’s comments from his stint as spokesperson in Iraq (they regularly lacked veracity) and the comments and writings he made while at the Ft. Leavenworth. While publicly stating in 2008 that “information operations” should only be used on foreign audiences, he also rather aggressively attempted to expand the reach of propaganda to domestic audiences as well. To redefine information operations, in other words, as “information engagements.” That’s the key here–that’s how you wind up targeting senators with a team of soldiers who know how to conduct psychological operations.

Again, Hastings contradicts himself and adds a level of hypocrisy to his response. He mentions that LTC Holmes is a “20-year plus veteran in the Texas Army National Guard who’s done three tours overseas” (the equivalent, mind you, of maybe 6-8 years of active military service) while completely glossing over the nearly 40-year veteran status of a Lieutenant General on active military service. If the mere fact that Holmes length of service serves as a reason we should believe him, then we should believe LTC Caldwell twice as quickly.

Secondly, Hastings claims in this point that LTG Caldwell “has been at the forefront of trying to tear down the firewalls between IO and Public Affairs” without providing any proof of this. He correctly summizes that LTC Caldwell noted that “information operations” should only be used on foreign audiences. That is exactly right. That is the purpose of IO! Had Hastings ANY inkling of military terms and processes, he probably would have recognized that there isn’t anything odd about this statement. However, Hastings is probably counting on the fact that his doped up, weed-smoking readers won’t notice that or even ask. He claims that LTG Caldwell “rather aggressively attempted to expand the reach of propaganda to domestic audiences as well” without providing any additional evidence of this other than reiterating the [baseless] claims of LTC Holmes.

3) From my perspective, the story gives us a glimpse into the U.S. military’s massive spin machine–spin on steroids, really. We all know it exists, but it’s often difficult to find a way to write about it. In this case, it’s a spin machine that clearly overstepped legal boundaries. Over the past ten days, a few of my colleagues have preferred to defend the Pentagon’s propaganda efforts. That’s their prerogative. But after wiping away all the mud that’s been flung, the facts of Holmes story can’t be denied: An information operations cell, trained in how to conduct psychological operations and military deception, was ordered to manipulate visiting U.S. political leaders into giving more money and troops. That to me is pretty disturbing. If Caldwell and his friends want to claim they are “innocent”–which I don’t doubt they believe–then that’s even more disturbing.

This little quote is really all you need to know about the motivation of Hastings. He hates the military. Any defense of LTC Caldwell is easily (and ignorantly) dismissed as being part of the “U.S. military’s massive spin machine.” He’s specifically addressing the letter that was written in defense of Caldwell. That letter was written by: Glenn Ayers, COL, USA Retired; Claude Chafin, former Director of the White House Iraq Fusion Cell; James Davis, former Special Assistant, OSD Public Affairs; Erin Healy, former Director of Communications Outreach, Office of Secretary of Defense, Public Affairs; Pete Hegseth, Chairman of Vets for Freedom, CPT, USA; Robert Holmes, BG, USA Retired; Tom Jones, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, CAPT, USN Retired; Rebekah Lovorn; Paul McKellips; Caryn Nesmith; Mark Pfeifle, former Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications; Kris Purcell; John C. Roberts, Foreign Service Officer, Acting Public Affairs Officer Baghdad, 2005 – 2007; Dorrance Smith, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs; Howard Snow, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy, LtCol, USMC Retired; Dan Stanley, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs; Steve Susens; and Jonathan Thompson, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs.

Only one of those names are currently serving either in uniform or as a government official, not sure where this “massive spin machine” is based out of.

Hastings makes the following observation based on LTC Holmes’ “facts”: An information operations cell, trained in how to conduct psychological operations and military deception, was ordered to manipulate visiting U.S. political leaders into giving more money and troops.

If Hastings were a real reporter, he could easily find the truth in this statement. If, in fact, LTC Holmes and band of merry mischief makers were trained in IO, psy-ops, or military deception they would possess official military training certificates. These are not classified certificates and could easily be obtained through FOIA requests. This would end any argument about who is telling the truth and, I think, quickly discredit LTC Holmes so his readers can get back to their regularly scheduled lives of American Idol and snorting lines of cocaine.

4) I commend General Petraeus for calling for an investigation. But my guess is that the confidence you speak of among Caldwell supporters has little to do with innocence or guilt. It has to do with the fact that–as we’ve seen over the past decade–these investigations are often just white washes. The brass usually dodges any responsibility, and they hang out the little guys to dry. The only way to really make sure this kind of thing doesn’t happen again is to have Congress take a look at it.

This is a preemptive comment meant to maintain ego in the event that the military investigation finds, rightly so, that LTG Caldwell did nothing wrong. Obviously, Hastings won’t be calling the investigation a “white wash” if it comes out in his favor. Only when the military comes to conclusions that differ with Hastings’ seemingly hostile opinion of the military are these investigations not to be believed.

Hastings has proven by his writing that he got lucky with GEN McChrystal (although I still think the whole thing was a made-up news story using an off-the-cuff remark and turning into a straw man). He obviously has no clue about the kinds of operations in which the military undertakes nor the difference between them. LTC Holmes is playing a high-risk game of CYA. In the end, he won’t have much of an ass left to cover!